Pharma & Climate Change: How Can Companies Make Meaningful Contributions?
The industry is rarely mentioned among the chief planet polluters — and companies are intensifying their sustainability efforts to make sure it stays that way. In August, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a body of scientists convened by the United Nations, issued a long-anticipated report. You probably heard about it: Based on more than 14,000 studies and approved by the government of every U.N. member nation, the IPCC report is the most comprehensive
Mental Health Patients Using Telehealth Share Security, HIPAA Concerns
Patients who accessed mental health services in the last year are concerned about the security of those sessions and the safety of their sensitive personal information, according to a recent survey by healthcare technology vendor DrFirst. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Health and Human Services relaxed enforcement of telehealth use on platforms not typically allowed under The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The measure fueled use of telehealth, and
How to Keep Sharps Safety a Cut Above
No health care worker is immune from the dangers of handling sharps. Physicians hold a rate just under that of nurses, mostly related to use of scalpels, but are less likely to report these injuries. Occupational risk of sharps injuries transcends health care from local and community settings to a global stage. Although often preventable, sharps injuries occur in high-income countries at an alarming rate, and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with higher endemic rates
Know Your PHI vs. Personally Identifiable Information Policy for HIPAA Compliance
Know the differences between personally identifiable information policy and PHI for staying aligned with HIPAA and avoiding violations. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act) sets forth four tiers of penalties for violating the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or HIPAA. They range from $100 to $50,000 per violation depending on the offense, making it a must to distinguish between personal health information (PHI) and personally identifiable information (PII) policy.
Health App Companies May Be Surprised FTC Is Watching Them
Companies with health apps that collect information from customers should understand a recent policy statement from the FTC about the health breach notification rule. They may be surprised the rule applies to the data they collect and they need to prepare for possible enforcement actions, say WilmerHale cybersecurity and privacy attorneys. The Federal Trade Commission recently issued a policy statement related to its health breach notification rule. This “statement” by the FTC comes a few
Miami Nurse Fired After Sharing Photos of Baby with Birth Defect Online
Sierra Samuels was let go Sept. 15 for HIPAA violations, hospital says A nurse in Miami was fired last month after she posted pictures of a baby with a birth defect on social media. Sierra Samuels was relieved of her duties on Sept. 15 at Jackson Memorial Hospital where she worked since 2016, most recently serving in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), according to an NBC News report. She was accused of making derisive
How Harm Reduction Can Help Win the Fight Against Opioids
Last year, nearly 70,000 people in the United States died of opioid-related overdoses, up from 49,860 in 2019—a rise driven by synthetic opioids. Despite three years of aggressive enforcement-based attempts to target the trafficking of these drugs, opioids increasingly dominate illicit markets across the country. The current approach is failing both to reduce supply and to prevent deaths. Furthermore, it has health and criminal justice consequences of its own, especially in communities of color. It’s
Violence Against Healthcare Workers is Surging. How Hospitals Are Responding…
Violence against health care workers has surged amid increased Covid-19 hospitalizations and widespread misinformation about vaccines and treatments—leading some hospitals to implement new security measures, such as panic buttons, to protect their employees. Health care workers face increased violence Violence against health care workers has become more widespread since the pandemic began, the Washington Post reports. A February report from the Insecurity Insight and the University of California, Berkeley‘s Human Rights Center found that more
Healthcare Organizations Remain at Risk Despite Proper HIPAA Compliance
Patients expect their healthcare providers to meet compliance regulations and keep their valuable information safe. Though, if you are HIPAA compliant, it doesn’t necessarily mean your data is secure. This article discusses the details of proper email security when it comes to HIPAA compliance. Ensuring high quality patient care is the top priority for healthcare providers. As a result, hospitals and private practices aim to optimize the patient experience by operating as efficiently as possible.
